What Happens If You Make a School Bomb Threat?

School bomb threats can cause real panic even if the threat is a hoax, and the perpetrators can face real legal consequences.

A bomb scare suspect at Harvard University, 20-year-old student Eldo Kim, found that out the hard way when the FBI arrested him Monday after setting the entire college campus on alert, reports Boston Magazine.

Like many others who have made school bomb threats, Kim could face serious punishment if convicted.

Bomb Threat Received Just Before Exam

According to an FBI affidavit, Kim used an anonymous email address to send email to a handful of Harvard University officials stating that "shrapnel bombs" had been placed in several locations throughout the campus. He had allegedly done so to avoid an exam that Monday morning.

Federal authorities arrested Kim under the federal law dealing with hoaxes, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. In addition to the criminal charges, Kim will also likely face expulsion from Harvard.